Inhaler



` (No Model.)

I'. A. DIETRICH.

INHALER".

No. 509,465. Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. DIETRICH, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

INHALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509, 465, datedNovember 28, 1893.

Application filed December 31,1891. Serial No. 416,695. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. DIE- TRICH, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInhalers, of which the following in a specifica- Jtion.

My invention relates to improvements in inhalers for medical purposesand particularly to inhalers of that class in which the medicinalagentis in liquid form andis atomized by a current of air, preferablysupplied from a compressed air reservoir.

The invention is fully described and eX- plained in this specificationand shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sideelevation of a complete device embodying my invention and Fig. 2 is atop plan of the drivingr parts of a preferred form of pump for supplyingthe atomizer with air.

In the views A is a reservoir for compressed air, provided with theusual safety valve, V, and having preferably a pipe, P, provided withthe usual stop-cock and adapted for use in various medical and surgicaloperations.

B is a horizontal tube, set in the wall of the reservoir, and providedwith a suitable stop-cock and B is a vertical tube whose lower end iswithin a suitable receptacle for medicine in liquid form, While itsupper end is in such relation to the end of the tube B, that the twotogether form an atomizer adapted to draw upward the liquid in thereceptacle below and convert it into a spray.

C is a horizontal tube placed in line with the small tube, B, andsupported in a suitable housing, D, of sheet metal, the housing itselfbeing supported by standard, E, and base E. The tube, C, is providedwith a terminal mouthpiece, or inhaling shield, C', and is preferably intwo pieces separable at c, in order that the tube may be readily removedfrom the housing,D, for the purpose of cleaning or packing it.

The housing, D, is formed with an opening in one of its sides for theadmission of alamp, F, and has in its top suitable perforations, d, forthe escape of the products of combustion of the lamp.

The reservoir, A, may be supplied with air by any suitable means, butpreferably by means of an air-pump, having the construction, illustratedin the drawings, in which G is a pump cylinder, resting on the base, g,and provided with the usual piston rod, G,adapted to operate a piston inthe ordinary manner. At the outer end of the rod, G', is a cross-bar,II, to whose ends are pivoted the front ends of two pitmen,I, I, whoserear ends are pivoted to the free ends of cranks, K, K, fastened to theshaft of apulley, L, the shaft being mounted in suitable bearings, M,and the ends of the cranks being provided with handles, K. The pulley,L, has a face of such form as to receive a belt or band for transmissionof power, so that the pump may be operated by suitable motor, ifdesired, instead of by hand. I have found it advisable in practice toprovide some means for relieving the piston rod, G', from Verticalpressure which might cause it to bind or wear and for this purpose thedrawings show a rest, R, which receives the downward pressure of thepiston rod and of the cross-bar, I'I, the rest being preferably formedof a dat rod of metal bent, as shown in the drawings, and having ends,r, adapted to be fastened to the table on which the entire device isplaced. In the machine, as I have made and used it, one of the ends, r,is provided with an upward extension, r', fastenedto the base, g, of thepump cylinder for the purpose of holding all the parts together, butthis arrangement is, of course, not essential.

In operation the reservoir is supplied with air from the pump by therotation of the pulley, K, the two handles, K', permitting the use ofboth hands of the operator, whereby the resistance is equalized at bothends of the pulley shaft and the wear onparts of the machine is greatlylessened. The maximum pressure in the reservoir may be determined bymeans of a safety valve, V, and when sufficient pressure has beensecured the stop-cock of the tube, B, is opened and the current of airpassing outward through the tube, B, draws the medicated liquid upwardthrough the tube, B', and drives it outward in the fine spray throughthe tube, C. This spray may be inhaled by the patient from themouthpiece, C', and for certain purposes I intend that the device shallbe used in this manner.

IOC

In diseases of the lungs and the bronchial tubes, however, the inhalingof spray is not efficacious since the spray is not carried a sufficientdistance to reach the parts to be treated. In all such cases I use thelamp, F, which lies immediately under the center of the tube, C, thelamp being lighted and alloWed to burn a sufficient time to thoroughlyheat the tube before inhalation begins. As soon as the tube isthoroughly heated the spray passing through it is completely evaporatedand reaches the mouth-piece, C', in the form of a medicated Warm air, inwhich no traces of moisture are discernable to the senses. This Warm airor practically dry vapor penetrates the lungs and bronchial tubes ateach inhalation and thus renders pos/sible the direct application of thedesired remedies to be affected surfaces ot these parts.

I have found in practice that treatment by means of this inhaler givesthe best possible results and that the evaporation of the spray, formedby the atomizer, is a great advantage in the use of an inhaler.

The air-pump shown and described herein, is included in this applicationmerely as a preferred form of pump especially adapted to be used incombination with the inhaler covered by the claims hereof. Itconstitutes no part of the invention which I desire to secure by theLetters Patent to be issued upon the present application.

I am aware that it has been proposed to combine With an atomizer avertical tube adapted to receive a spray from the atomizer, and a lampplaced Within the lower end of the tube and adapted to vaporize thespray and carry it upward in the tube. That construction, however,involves the mingling of the products of combustion with the Vaporgenerated from the spray. The introduction of the products of combustionof the lamp as an element of the vapor inhaled by the patient in the useof the tube, is extremely objectionable and greatly decreases thebeneficial effects to be obtained from the inhalation of the vaporizedmedicinal elements. In the use of the device forming the subject of thisapplication, the ame of the lamp is applied to the external surface ofthe inhaling tube, and the tube and its contents are heated Without theadmission of any of the products of combustion of the flame, so that thevapor inhaled from the tube consists entirely ot' pure air heated to thenecessary degree and mingled in suitable proportions With the vaporizedmedicinal agents.

Having now described and explained my in vention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with an atomizer and means substantially as shown anddescribed for operating the same, of a tube adapted to receive andconduct the spray from the atomizer and a suitably supported burneradapted to apply its heat to the exterior of the tube and thereby toevaporate the spray Within it; substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the reservoir, A, and atomizer, B, B', of thesuitably supported housing, D, the tube, C, passing through the housingand adapted to receive spray generated by the atomizer, and the lamp, F,placed Within the housing and adapted to apply heat to the externalsurface of the tube and thereby to vaporize the spray Within it;substantially as shown and described.

FREDERICK A. DIETRICH.

Witnesses:

A. BIDWELL, ROBT. H. WILns.

